Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Anyim Pius Anyim unilaterally acquired the multi-billion-dollar Centenary City on the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport Road, Abuja, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chief alleged yesterday.

PDP’s National Vice Chairman (Southsouth zone) Dr. Cairo Ojougboh said he was ready to face the ex-SGF in court to prove his sole ownership of the controversial housing estate.

At a media briefing in his Abuja home late Monday, Ojougboh, reacting to what he described as “the show of shame”, which he said Anyim sponsored against him on Monday, accused the former SGF of acts of desperation “to cling onto his loot and spoils of office without putting into consideration the millions of Nigerians he is depriving of the dividends of democracy”.

Calling on President Muhammadu Buhari to probe transactions relating to the Centenary City, Ojougboh said Anyim persuaded former President Goodluck Jonathan to sign the Centenary City documents without the ex-president reading the contents or consulting his advisers.

The Centenary City project is sitting on a land area covering over 1, 500 hectares, the size of three districts in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

The PDP chieftain has petitioned President Buhari, stating the facts relating to the transaction and the role played by Anyim in what he described as “a scam” perpetrated by a United Arab Emirates company, allegedly operating as a front for Anyim.

Ojougboh said: “Yes, the former president signed the papers as presented to him by the former SGF. He was not properly briefed because of vested interests.

“I can defend him; he was not part of the fraud. If Jonathan had been properly briefed, he would not have approved the project, let alone going to perform the ground breaking.

“The former President thought that the Centenary City was for the good of all Nigerians because of the centenary spirit. Unknown to him, it was the private project of the former SGF and his cohorts.

“I am calling on President Buhari now to revisit the centenary city project and he will be shocked that the project is owned by a private individual, but procured with government funds”.

According to Ojougboh, the original landlords demanded compensation from the Federal Government, “but the sponsors of the project used a private firm to pay them N1.2 billion. He asked: Where did they source that money from?”

He continued: “How can an individual still serving in the government get such a huge sum to pay compensation without government knowledge?”.

Ojougboh alleged that the money was paid into a private company’s account.

He said: “President Muhammadu Buhari should direct the Department of State Services (DSS), the police, the Directorate of Military Intelligence as well as the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to look into the matter.

“The President must insist that each of these security agencies should carryout independent investigations so that the depth of the matter would be reached. I am available to offer the much I know from my independent quests on the matter”.

Ojougboh, a medical doctor, insisted that the project was a scheme used to defraud the Federal Government in taxes, stressing that the Free Zone status given to the multi-district estate was a fraud.

Ojougboh also quoted Anyim as saying that the project was worth $4 billion, adding that the process violated the rules guiding the granting of free trade zone status by the Nigerian Export Processing Zonal Authority (NEPZA).

The PDP chieftain, who was chairman of the board of NEPZA during the project’s conception, said the board did not approve a free trade zone status for it.

“I can categorically attest to the fact emphatically and unequivocally, that the board did not approve the grant of the status of free trade zone to centenary city.

“Centenary city cannot be a free zone because it is purely a residential estate within the confinement of the Federal Capital Territory and it is implicit that those who live in the free trade zone will require re-entry visa for ingress and egress.

“I make bold to say that the Federal Government has no equity in the Centenary City project and that Senator Anyim Pius Anyim is the sole owner of the 3000 acres of land owned by the Centenary City, Abuja.

“This is against the tenets and spirit of the Public Service rules for a public servant to own such a business whilst in government,” Ojougboh said.

The party chieftain stated that his attention was first drawn to the scam by the Anti-Corruption Network, and that he had voiced his opposition to the anomaly.

“It was meant to give import duty to the owners through the back door. The consequence was to rob Nigerian masses of their land, revenue and retard the industrial growth of the nation.

“Therefore, for every one job the project creates today, it robs the nation of over 10 jobs in taxes and industrial development”. Ojougboh stated.

Ojougboh raised some questions for Anyim:

Does the law establishing the FCT allow for a free zone? Is it in the Abuja mater plan?
How did Pius Anyim obtain the N1.2 billion resettlement fees?
In whose custody is the Certificate of Occupancy (CofO) of the Centenary City?
Anyim’s media aide, Mr. Sam Nwaobosi, declined comments because, according to him, the matter is in court. In a telephone conversation with reporters in Abuja yesterday, Nwaobosi said Anyim would not take up issues with Ojougboh.

Said he: “Senator Anyim has gone to court to sue him for defamation on the previous press conference and interviews that he granted in which he accused Anyim of almost all these things you said he is saying now.

“So, the matter is already in court and Senator Anyim does not wish to take up issues with him on matters that are already in court.

“Since he feels aggrieved by what Cairo (Ojougboh) has been saying and writing against him, he is pursuing a very civilised cause by going to court to plead his case.

“So whatever Ojougboh is saying, he will have an opportunity in court to explain and then plead his case.”

http://thenationonlineng.net/pdp-chief-anyim-tricked-jonathan-to-sign-n1-2b-deal/

There is no end to the atrocities committed under/in the name of GEJ...may we never be punished with such a " jolly fellow " again!

Anyim the rich man from a poor state, growing richer, kinsmen remain poor

BREAKING NEWS!
Before you stone GEJ learn the hard lesson:

"WHAT YOU DO NOT FULLY UNDERSTAND DO NOT AGREE WITH"

I can defend him; he was not part of the fraud. If Jonathan had been properly briefed, he would not have approved the project, let alone going to perform the ground breaking.

I can't defend Jonathan. How could he append his signature without seeking proper advise. These and more were some of the blunders committed by the last administration that further plunged Nigeria backward.

If the allegations are true, then the offender should be given a permanent resident at Kirikiri or Kuje.

We all know that GEJ loved to romance those who were deemed Corrupt and so I am not the least surprised if he was hoodwinked..

Who cares anyway

“Senator Anyim has gone to court to sue him for defamation on the previous press conference and interviews that he granted in which he accused Anyim of almost all these things you said he is saying now.

“So, the matter is already in court and Senator Anyim does not wish to take up issues with him on matters that are already in court.

Simple! The case is in court, let's wait for the judge's pronouncement.

Another failed propaganda and lies from the Miserable bluffing lying liars!!

The funniest thing is that even their lies confuses the Pathetic nitwits (APC)!!!


Another expected Failure from the APC

barcanista:

Simple! The case is in court, let's wait for the judge's pronouncement.

don't tell me you bought this piece of crap from this useless demonic broom wielding party

apc is a sinister party that takes any form just to display their foundation (propaganda and lies )

Expect another news from these Cheap devils!!

with a PhD yet Jonathan was tricked by everybody, even more funny he has followers like that unemployed youth barcanista. if Jonathan were my brother i will call him to the back and ask him to apologize to nigerians for being such a jackass

Wailing wailers have you all seen this. The accuser is a prominent PDP member. Anyim is indicted. Jonathan can not claim ignorance.

Thank God Buhari have vowed to recover every-every. Soon some clowns will want to tell us PDP’s National Vice Chairman (Southsouth zone) Dr. Cairo Ojougboh is not PDP enough.

God will expose all the atrocities committed under Jonathan.

It is Sai Buhari all the way! God bless Nigeria.

Jonathan signed a document without going through the details.

Heard that was how he sacked Ade Dosunmu from Nimasa.he didn't read before he signed.

Jonathan is Dull and clueless. No wonder corrouption stinks during his Era.

bobbiekrantz:
Another failed propaganda and lies from the Miserable bluffing lying liars!!

The funniest thing is that even their lies confuses the Pathetic nitwits (APC)!!!


Another expected Failure from the APC

i thought the accuser is a MAJOR pdp Chieftain? ??Nigerian youths, our future is forever lost with the present crop of youths we have now. They are stealing your pathetic future and you are here acting like a robot. With these mentioned looting,your children might end up shining the shoes of Anyim 's Children.....Sad!

[img]http://i./O5NyCibf93upy.gif[/img]

Jonah ooo. Who knows what else he didn't know before signing? I hope he did not unknowingly sell Nigeria before vacating office.

I thought Anyi was asleep....

Breeze dey blow fowl yansh open this period ooo.

And yet some fools will keep defending Jonah just because it's their brother. I pity some people.

sigmundfreud:
There is no end to the atrocities committed under/in the name of GEJ...may we never be punished with such a " jolly fellow " again!

When you have a dullard, clueless President like we had until May anything could have happened. What an administration? . Thieves without skills using clueless man to cover their atrocities. ....never again. The story was that the man was not even aware of one tenth of what was going on in his own administration.

simp:
And yet some fools will keep defending Jonah just because it's their brother. I pity some people.

Thank you. This one is not from APC. An Ibo man exposing another Ibo man. Jonathan will still go to prison for 7 years. His offence would be Cluelessness.

So anyim can stay awake long enough to defraud Nigerians. If Anyim could defraud Jonathan, we are in trouble. Much sharper people have probably made him sign patience away sef

See some almajiri comments above, the whistle blower is the deputy national chairman of PDP, south-south. Why are some fools claiming it is a propaganda from APC?

Ok . Na

Recycled news we have here...

Waiting on the court pronouncement. I won't be surprised if Ojougboh is right though. Jonathan appends signature even without reading past the headings, there's no denying.

How are we even sure Nigeria has not been sold by GEJ Corrupt regime

Little wonder Anyim wrote such a patronising letter to thank Jonathan at the twilight of that administration.

He thanked him profusely, saying his humility is infectious. Now we know Jonathan was only his humble mugu.

Below was my comment about that letter.

More like "your stupidity is contagious".

An epidemic dunce.

Thank God we contained it.

Choi. The table has turned now and these yeye people are washing their dirty linen in the public.

I honestly feel Jonathan did not know what was going on during his regime. His workers/aides/staff will bring documents to him and he will just sign without reading and understanding.

You will automatically become an idiot when you are surrounded by lots of them

Iol. I hope anyim didn't fall asleep in the process.

LastProphet:
with a PhD yet Jonathan was tricked by everybody, even more funny he has followers like that unemployed youth barcanista. if Jonathan were my brother i will call him to the back and ask him to apologize to nigerians for being such a jackass

Start with Buhari by telling him to declare his asset

They should wait for the Judge's pronouncement

bobbiekrantz:


don't tell me you bought this piece of crap from this useless demonic broom wielding party

apc is a sinister party that takes any form just to display their foundation (propaganda and lies )

Expect another news from these Cheap devils!!

Now they are exposing each other..lols...But seriously Nigeria would av become history if GEJ had won d last election.Just look @ wot he turned dis country to..He doesn't have d true anticidents of a leader.He ws just bin taken for a fool which he truly is.He lacks charisma.He ws just bin manuevered anyhow.And d fact dat he too ws getting his own returns from illegal deals made him blind and stupid.